C&C Holds Tug Keel-Laying Ceremony

C&C Marine and Repair marked a milestone April 17 with a keel-laying ceremony at its Belle Chasse, La., shipyard for a new series of four hybrid escort tugs being built for Green Tug Towing. The vessels will support liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier operations at Woodside Energy’s Louisiana LNG terminal in Calcasieu Parish.

The Green Tug Towing series joins another set of four hybrid escort tugs already under construction at C&C, bringing the shipyard’s active tugboat program to eight vessels. According to a C&C news release, the work will help sustain more than 100 Louisiana jobs, with deliveries scheduled for 2028.

Among those attending the ceremony were Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan B. Bourgeois, Woodside Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer International Daniel Kalms, Green Tug Towing President Thomas Springer and Tony Cibilich, president and owner of C&C Marine and Repair. As part of the ceremony, Landry welded four commemorative doubloons into the keel, with one representing each project partner: C&C Marine and Repair, the state of Louisiana, Woodside Energy and Green Tug Towing. The coin-welding tradition is intended to symbolize good fortune for the vessel and safety for its crew.

“This ceremony is a proud moment for our shipyard and for everyone involved in this program,” Cibilich said. “This project is more than a contract. It’s a commitment to our workforce, our community and our future. Building these vessels will keep more than 100 of our employees working steadily for nearly two years, and that kind of stability means everything to the families who depend on these jobs and to the strength of our local economy.”

The four vessels will be built to Robert Allan Ltd.’s RApport 2800H design, a hybrid escort tug platform developed for LNG terminal service. According to the release, the tugs will be equipped with diesel-electric hybrid propulsion systems intended to reduce fuel consumption and emissions during standby, harbor transit and low-speed maneuvering. They also will be designed to provide the steering forces and bollard pull needed to handle large LNG carriers.

“These are among the most sophisticated vessels ever built at our shipyard, and our team is ready for it,” Cibilich said. “We’ve spent nearly three decades building the people, the facilities and the engineering depth to take on programs of this scale. We’re proud to build these tugs in Louisiana and to be part of a project that will power America’s energy future for decades to come.”

Founded in 1997 as a 5,000-square-foot repair shop on the Harvey Canal, C&C Marine and Repair has expanded to more than 100 acres in Belle Chasse. The facility includes 3,200 linear feet of waterfront along the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and more than 540,000 square feet of enclosed fabrication space. The company said its indoor construction model helps avoid weather delays, while its in-house team of naval architects, engineers and welders supports both vessel design and construction. The yard also includes a robotic blast facility and an automated panel line.

C&C said design work on the Green Tug Towing series is advancing toward full production, with vessel deliveries planned for 2028 in support of Woodside Louisiana LNG’s targeted first LNG production in 2029. The tugs will operate under a 20-year services contract providing LNG carrier berthing, unberthing, escort, standby and emergency response services. The company said the contract adds to its portfolio of towboats, tugs, dredges and offshore vessels built along the Gulf Coast.

Featured Photo Caption: Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan B. Bourgeois, Woodside Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer International Daniel Kalms, Green Tug Towing President Thomas Springer and Tony Cibilich, president and owner of C&C Marine and Repair, were among those who attended C&C Marine and Repair’s keel-laying ceremony April 17 for a series of four hybrid escort tugs being built for Green Tug Towing. (Photos courtesy of C&C Marine and Repair and Gov. Jeff Landry’s Office)